GAME DAY: #3 WOMEN'S HOCKEY TO FACE OFF AT FENWAY VS. NORTHEASTERN

SUN LIFE FROZEN FENWAY: A FIRST IN WOMEN'S HOCKEY
UNH and Northeastern will make history Jan. 8, 2010, at Fenway
Park – home of the Boston Red Sox – when the teams face
off in the first women’s hockey outdoor game as part of a
Hockey East doubleheader entitled Sun Life Frozen Fenway. Tickets
for the game went on sale Sept. 17 and are already sold out. The
game will be televised live on NESN and the NHL Network; it will
also be carried live on the Wildcat Sports Radio Network.
The Wildcats were part of another
women’s ice hockey first that occurred in Boston when they
won the inaugural national championship (American Women’s
College Hockey Alliance) in 1998 against Brown University at the
FleetCenter (now TD Garden).

THE MATCHUP
The University of New Hampshire women’s ice hockey team,
ranked fourth in both national polls, opens the 2010 calendar year
by renewing one of the oldest rivalries in women’s college
hockey in a Jan. 8 matchup against Northeastern University at
Fenway Park.
In the 109 previous meetings, UNH has
compiled a 74-28-7 record vs. Northeastern that includes 30-14-1 on
the road and 10-5-2 at neutral sites.
Since the inception of Hockey East for the 2002-03 season –
which also marked the first year as UNH head coach for Brian
McCloskey – the Wildcats have won all 25 meetings between
these programs.
During this streak, the ‘Cats have
won 13 times by shutout, including by 2-0 and 3-0 scores last
season at the Whittemore Center.
Earlier this season (Nov. 29,
2009), UNH won 2-1 at NU’s Matthews Arena. It marked the
smallest margin of victory since Feb. 5, 2005, when the ‘Cats
were also 2-1 road victors, as well as just the third one-goal
margin during the 25-game win streak vs. the Huskies. In the past
25 games, the margin breakdown is: one goal (three times), two
goals (five), three goals (four) and four-plus goals (13).
Northeastern last defeated New
Hampshire on March 15, 2002, when the Huskies ousted the Wildcats
from the ECAC Eastern League semifinals with a 2-0 win (at
UConn’s Freitas Ice Forum). That game ended a stretch in
which NU went 5-1-1 vs. the ‘Cats.
In this season’s previous
matchup, UNH netted a pair of shorthanded goals in the 2-1 victory.
The Wildcats were backboned in goal by Lindsey Minton (21 saves)
and were led offensively by Kelly Paton, who tallied a goal and an
assist. Paton gave the ‘Cats a 1-0 lead late in the first
period, and NU’s Kristi Kehoe leveled the score just 58
seconds into the second stanza. The game remained tied at 1-1 until
Courtney Birchard blasted a shot from the right point into the
upper-right corner of the net with 3:27 remaining in the game. NU
goalie Florence Schelling made 30 saves as UNH recorded a 32-22
shot advantage. The Wildcats were 0-for-1 on the power play, while
NU went 0-for-4 with two shorthanded goals allowed.
Prior to this season, the last time
UNH faced a nationally-ranked Northeastern team was in that 2002
ECAC Eastern League semifinal game. The Huskies were ranked #5 at
the time, whereas the Wildcats were unranked.
And prior to this season, the most
recent time these teams faced off when both were in the national
rankings was Jan. 21, 2001, In that ECAC league matchup, the #8
Northeastern Huskies were 2-1 victors at UNH’s Whittemore
Center against the #9 Wildcats.

SKATING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER
The fourth annual “Skating Strides Against Breast
Cancer” will have an event on every WHEA campus this season,
as well as participation by all of the Hockey East men’s
teams. UNH will hold its Skating Strides event at the Whittemore
Center on Jan. 16, vs. Providence (the Wildcats’ next home
game).
In February 2007, the league debuted its
inaugural “Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer.” The
one-day event was hosted by Hockey East schools as a way to
establish a greater fan base, to raise needed funds, and to work
with the specific charities to raise awareness for both the league
and the specific cause. “Skating Strides” has won
national awards at NACMA in the “Single Day Attendance
Promotion” category in 2007 and 2009.

"OPERATION HAT TRICK" CONTINUES
Last season, the University of New Hampshire athletic department
announced the creation of a special project called “Operation
Hat Trick,” an initiative that will give baseball hats to
injured military personnel. This year’s Operation Hat Trick
festivities will be held at the Feb. 13 game vs. Vermont.
For every two hats sold (suggested retail
price of $19.95 each), a third will be donated to the VA
Hospital’s Recreation Therapy program. Six local retailers,
including an online provider, have committed to the project by
selling the hats through their outlets. The retailers are: UNH
Bookstore, Hayden Sports, Town & Campus, Sportdesigns.com,
Friends of Men’s Hockey, Friends of Women’s Hockey and
UNH Athletics.
Operation Hat Trick was launched at
the UNH men’s hockey game vs. Providence on Nov. 22, 2008,
and women’s hockey had its special presentation Friday, Dec.
5, 2008 vs. Harvard.
Members of the hockey teams wore Operation Hat Trick hats during
introductions and then tossed each personally autographed hat into
the crowd. Three team-signed hats were raffled off with proceeds
going to the VA Hospital Recreation Therapy program. In
mid-December, members of each hockey team traveled to the VA
Hospital to meet and greet patients and to deliver the first group
of hats.
For more information about
Operation Hat Trick or to view the product, visit
www.unhwildcats.com.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire ended the 2009 calendar year with road wins against
Boston College (4-0; Dec. 8) and Dartmouth College (4-1; Dec. 12).
The Wildcats are 7-1-2 in the last 10 games as well as 4-1-2 away
from home.

UNH has yielded less than two goals
in 11 of 18 games this season; that includes four shutouts.
The Wildcats have won all four games decided by one goal. Dating
back to last season, the ‘Cats have won eight consecutive
one-goal games. (last loss: Nov. 29, 2008 at Colgate, 5-4)
New Hampshire has recorded its largest advantages in both goals
(+14; 25-11) and shots (+74; 204-130) in the second period. In
comparison, the ‘Cats are +5 (17-12) in the first period and
+7 (17-10) in the third.

In the opening decade of this millennium (January 2000 through
December 2009), UNH compiled an overall record of 252-80-32 (.736
win percentage). The Wildcats advanced to postseason play all 10
years, won six consecutive league regular-season titles (Hockey
East, 2004-09) and four straight league tournament titles (Hockey
East, 2006-09). They also made four consecutive NCAA tourney
appearances (2006-09) with two Frozen Four appearances (‘06
and ‘08).

In the eight-year history of Hockey East, UNH has lost a total of
14 games to league opponents –11 in the regular season and
three in postseason play. Of those 14 losses, nine have been to
Providence (seven in the regular season; two in postseason).
New Hampshire’s eight-year league record is now 121-11-15
(.873 winning percentage). Additionally, the ‘Cats are 10-3
in the Hockey East tournament.

In head coach Brian McCloskey’s eight-year tenure, UNH has a
40-6-8 record (.815 winning percentage) in the month of January.
That mark was 24-2-3 (.879) spanning the 2006-09 seasons.

'CAT NIPS
Senior forward Micaela Long has 19 points (4g, 15a) during her
current 11-game point-scoring streak. She recorded her 100th career
point Dec. 5 with a goal vs. Providence. Long tied her personal
bests in both assists (three) and points (four) Dec. 12 at
Dartmouth College.
Junior goaltender Kayley Herman matched her season high of 30
saves with 10 saves all three periods at Dartmouth. She stopped 51
of 52 shots (.981) in the two games prior to the holiday break.
Herman is unbeaten (6-0-2) this season.
Freshman forward Kristine Horn has
a point in four of the last five games and in 12 of 18 this season.
She and classmate Kristina Lavoie are tied for the UNH rookie lead
in goals (six), assists (eight) and points (14). Lavoie equalled
her career highs in both assists (two) and points (three) at
Dartmouth.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
In the first game of a new calendar year, or New Year game, UNH
has a 27-3-2 record that includes 14-3-0 in road games and 2-0-1 at
a neutral site. In the tenure of head coach Brian McCloskey, the
Wildcats are 4-2-1 in New Year games.
New Hampshire opened the 2009 calendar
year Jan. 10 with a 5-0 road loss to Providence College. That loss
ended a three-year winning streak – all on the road –
against Brown (3-1 in ‘08), UConn (6-2 in ‘07) and
Dartmouth (4-1 in ‘07).
This will be UNH’s first New
Year game on January 8.
The game at Fenway Park will mark
the third time that the ‘Cats play a New Year game against
Northeastern. UNH skated to a 4-4 tie vs. the Huskies on Jan. 15,
1988 (neutral site) and defeated NU, 7-3, on Jan. 12, 1979 (at
home).

THIS DATE IN HISTORY
The Jan. 8, 2010 game at Fenway Park against Northeastern
University is certainly historical in significance as the first
outdoor women’s ice hockey game.
UNH has played five other times on
the date January 8 and have a 3-1-1 record. Most recently, the
Wildcats skated to a 2-2 tie vs. Boston College at the Whittemore
Center in 2005. In other games, UNH upended Cornell (8-3 in
‘00) and Providence (4-1 in ‘95), lost to Brown (5-3 in
‘94) and defeated Concordia (3-0 in ‘93).